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00:00This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
00:10This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
00:40This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
01:11Another woman. The king is very hungry.
01:18The king is happy. He likes the present.
01:22Sorry, the king doesn't want to see anyone anymore.
01:25You mean I can't talk to him?
01:27Not today.
01:29Louis, come with me.
01:33Your Majesty.
01:36Your Majesty.
01:37Your Majesty.
01:39Who, who, who?
01:40Your Majesty, a new scholar has arrived.
01:43I present to you, Madame Anna Owens and her son, Louis.
01:51Ah, you are a scholar.
01:53Yes, Your Majesty. But first of all, I would like to point out that...
01:57You are part of the vast plan I have undertaken to give Siam everything that is good in Western culture.
02:03I have already brought a printing machine here.
02:07To print?
02:08Yes, I know, Your Majesty.
02:10How do you know?
02:11Because before signing our commitment, I inquired about Your Majesty and the ambitions she has for Siam.
02:18And you think you can teach royal children?
02:22They must have a high-class education.
02:27Former scholars, highly educated, but unable to go any further.
02:33And who were their former scholars?
02:37Me, sir.
02:39Oh.
02:41Come.
02:46Ah, she is one of my wives.
02:49They are beautiful, but no gift for culture.
02:53I present to you...
02:56Lady Tiang, Chief of Women.
02:59Chief of Women.
03:01Oh, my lord and my master,
03:04dare I look at your humble servant?
03:09Missionary.
03:11Oh.
03:12It is a missionary who taught you French?
03:14Yes, and I am a mother too.
03:16Of the great prince, Choula Longhorn, heir to the throne.
03:20Prepare the children for the presentation of a new teacher.
03:24Your Majesty, there is a small detail that I would like to settle first on my house.
03:28House? What house?
03:30My house, Your Majesty, the one you promised me in your letter.
03:33It is an honor for you to live in the palace.
03:35You teach in the palace, you must live in the palace.
03:38A very nice apartment.
03:39Very nice thing.
03:40A very nice view.
03:43Ah, yes, in the kind of baths with windows,
03:46fort guardhouses, etc., etc.
03:49What is it, etc.?
03:51Well, it means the following and the following, Your Majesty.
03:54Ah.
03:56Now, I present my children.
03:59I am sorry, Your Majesty, but if I don't have a house,
04:02as it was planned, we have to take the boat back before they lift the anchor.
04:05We are leaving, Louis.
04:06You stay here.
04:08I present the children.
04:10I present the princes and princesses.
04:40I present the princesses.
04:41I present the princes and princesses.
04:42I present the princes and princesses.
04:43I present the princes and princesses.
04:44I present the princes and princesses.
04:45I present the princes and princesses.
04:46I present the princes and princesses.
04:47I present the princes and princesses.
04:48I present the princes and princesses.
04:49I present the princes and princesses.
04:50I present the princes and princesses.
04:51I present the princes and princesses.
04:52I present the princes and princesses.
04:53I present the princes and princesses.
04:54I present the princes and princesses.
04:55I present the princes and princesses.
04:56I present the princes and princesses.
04:57I present the princes and princesses.
04:58I present the princes and princesses.
04:59I present the princes and princesses.
05:00I present the princes and princesses.
05:01I present the princes and princesses.
05:03I present the princes and princesses.
05:04I present the princes and princesses.
05:05I present the princes and princesses.
05:06I present the princes and princesses.
05:07I present the princes and princesses.
05:08I present the princes and princesses.
05:09I present the princes and princesses.
05:10I present the princes and princesses.
05:11I present the princes and princesses.
05:12I present the princes and princesses.
05:13I present the princes and princesses.
05:14I present the princes and princesses.
05:15I present the princes and princesses.
05:16I present the princes and princesses.
05:17I present the princes and princesses.
05:18I present the princes and princesses.
05:19I present the princes and princesses.
05:20I present the princes and princesses.
05:21I present the princes and princesses.
05:22I present the princes and princesses.
05:23I present the princes and princesses.
05:24I present the princes and princesses.
05:26I present the princes and princesses.
05:27I present the princes and princesses.
05:28I present the princes and princesses.
05:29I present the princes and princesses.
05:30I present the princes and princesses.
05:31I present the princes and princesses.
05:32I present the princes and princesses.
05:33I present the princes and princesses.
05:34I present the princes and princesses.
05:35I present the princes and princesses.
05:36I present the princes and princesses.
05:37I present the princes and princesses.
05:38I present the princes and princesses.
05:39I present the princes and princesses.
05:40I present the princes and princesses.
05:41I present the princes and princesses.
05:42I present the princes and princesses.
05:43I present the princes and princesses.
05:44I present the princes and princesses.
05:45I present the princes and princesses.
05:46I present the princes and princesses.
05:47I present the princes and princesses.
05:48I present the princes and princesses.
05:49I present the princes and princesses.
05:50I present the princes and princesses.
05:51I present the princes and princesses.
05:52I present the princes and princesses.
05:53I present the princes and princesses.
05:54I present the princes and princesses.
05:55I present the princes and princesses.
05:56I present the princes and princesses.
05:57I present the princes and princesses.
05:58I present the princes and princesses.
05:59I present the princes and princesses.
06:00I present the princes and princesses.
06:01I present the princes and princesses.
06:02I present the princes and princesses.
06:03I present the princes and princesses.
06:04I present the princes and princesses.
06:05I present the princes and princesses.
06:06I present the princes and princesses.
06:07I present the princes and princesses.
06:08I present the princes and princesses.
06:09I present the princes and princesses.
06:10I present the princes and princesses.
06:17I present the princes and princesses.
06:22I present the princes and princesses.
06:27I present the princes and princesses.
06:32I present the princes and princesses.
06:37Quack, quack, quack, quack.
06:53The teacher has the kindness to change her mind.
06:57She stays to live in the palace.
07:07Where did he go?
07:09I told the king that the school would start for everyone every day at 9 o'clock.
07:14Maybe he understood 9 o'clock in the evening.
07:16The world is upside down in this country.
07:18Madame, Madame.
07:20Yes, who is it, Lady Tiang?
07:22Go back to your room. It's a very bad day, a very bad day.
07:26Why, what happened?
07:28Oh, the king is in a bad mood.
07:30He is very angry.
07:31Everyone is locked up in his room.
07:33You have to go to your room.
07:34But why is he angry?
07:36Maybe it's the stars or the breakfast, maybe.
07:42Be careful, he's coming this way.
07:44I'm leaving.
07:45You too.
07:46Come, Mom.
07:47Let's go.
07:48Louis, you stay here with me.
07:50They dare to insult me.
07:52Can you explain this nonsense to me?
07:55I don't know, Your Majesty.
07:57You should tell me what's going on.
07:59Sir Edward Ramsey, ambassador of Great Britain, called me barbarian.
08:04May I see this letter, Your Majesty?
08:06The dictionary says that barbarian is a lack of instruction and culture.
08:09But I am the king.
08:11The most refined, the most cultivated, the most educated person in the whole country.
08:16And he dares to say that I am barbarian.
08:20But it's false, it's a lie.
08:22Yes, it's a false lie.
08:27It's a stratagem used by some Englishmen who want to take away my authority
08:31and make Siam a protectorate by saying that I am barbarian.
08:34But I won't let them do that.
08:38What do you plan to do to stop them, Your Majesty?
08:42Plan to do what?
08:48Use force.
08:49The whole fleet of the Siamese should attack England.
08:56But Your Majesty, you must have a personal plan.
09:01Of course I have a personal plan.
09:03The most wonderful personal plan.
09:06What is it, Your Majesty?
09:14It's up to you to guess.
09:18All right.
09:21If I learn that someone lied about me, I'll make him know the truth.
09:26Is that what you decided to do, Your Majesty?
09:30Of course.
09:32Of course that's what I decided to do.
09:35But how?
09:39Guess how I'm going to do it.
09:42Oh, I don't know, Your Majesty.
09:44But I read in the newspapers that Sir Edward Ramsay is in Hong Kong at the moment.
09:49So?
09:50Maybe you thought of inviting him to the palace
09:53so that he could see how civilized you are.
09:57Ah!
09:58You guessed exactly what I was going to do.
10:01You're very smart.
10:04When does school start?
10:06It's past nine o'clock.
10:19And this, my children, is the earth.
10:23It's round, and it rotates on itself like a spinning top.
10:29Here is the North Pole, and here...
10:32Where is the turtle?
10:33Where is the turtle?
10:35Excuse me, but what turtle, Mr. Prime Minister?
10:38The big turtle that is under the globe and that carries it on its back
10:41to prevent it from hitting the stars.
10:43A turtle?
10:46I'm afraid to disappoint you, but few people in the world believe that the earth is carried by a big turtle.
10:51Yes, well, we believe it in Siam.
10:53And Siam is the largest country in the world.
10:57Are you crazy?
10:58The United States of America is 50 times larger than Siam.
11:01Oh, that's wrong!
11:02No, it's true!
11:03It's true, however.
11:04Siam is not a very large country.
11:07You see, it's here, on the globe.
11:13It's this little dot, Siam.
11:16And where are the United States?
11:18Here, Your Highness.
11:22No.
11:23No, you're lying.
11:25The teacher is telling lies.
11:27Take back what you said to my mother, or I'll punch you in the face.
11:30You have the audacity to threaten the great heir to the throne of Siam?
11:34That's what I'm laughing at.
11:35You'll see what I'm going to do to you, illiterate!
11:38Illiterate?
11:42Is that an insult?
11:44Not exactly, Your Majesty.
11:47I don't know what that means, but it doesn't seem to be a friendly expression.
11:51What do you mean, illiterate?
11:54Oh, hello, illiterate!
11:56No, it seems to be an insult.
11:58But children often say nonsense.
12:00It's just words.
12:02Just words?
12:05Not just words.
12:11My God, how did he do that?
12:13I think he had a little argument with your son.
12:16Louis?
12:17After this unbearable insult from an illiterate,
12:20uttered to him by the same Louis.
12:22But, Your Majesty...
12:24Do you know the punishment reserved to all those who are related to the heir to the throne of Siam?
12:29No.
12:30There is only one.
12:32Death.
12:34But, you're not serious.
12:36Why are you laughing?
12:38After such an offense.
12:39It's unthinkable.
12:41This beard...
12:42What?
12:43What did you say?
12:44I didn't say anything, Your Majesty.
12:46You did?
12:47Do you think I'm a barbarian?
12:49Well, if you killed all the children who had a little quarrel with your son...
12:53You're an old, desperate woman.
12:55It's better for you and your son to leave.
12:57Leave this country.
12:58That's exactly what I wanted to do, Your Majesty.
13:01I resign.
13:02No, you don't resign.
13:04You're fired.
13:05You're not doing the job.
13:06It was stupid to take a woman.
13:08Go, go, leave while I'm still in a good mood.
13:14Yes.
13:15Yes.
13:16We're ready to go, Your Majesty.
13:18I've come to say goodbye.
13:20And also to ask you to pay me.
13:23Pay you?
13:24Pay you what?
13:25My salary, Your Majesty.
13:27You know very well that I don't have a salary.
13:30I don't have a salary.
13:32I don't have a salary.
13:34I don't have a salary.
13:36I don't have a salary.
13:38I don't have a salary.
13:40I don't have a salary.
13:42I don't have a salary.
13:44I don't have a salary.
13:46I don't have a salary.
13:49I don't have a salary.
13:57I wrote a letter to Sir Edward Ramsey.
14:07Exactly. He'll be here in a week.
14:10Everything will go according to my plan.
14:13Why are you telling me this? You know very well that I'm leaving.
14:16What? You're not going to leave now?
14:18Otherwise, who's going to teach my people how the Europeans sit at the table for the big banquet that I'm preparing?
14:23So you think you can insult someone, put him at the door and make him come back with a simple gesture of the finger?
14:28Why are you arguing? You should be grateful to forgive your son for having so seriously offended the prince.
14:33Oh, you're exaggerating. It was a child's quarrel. It was a loyal fight.
14:38False. There can only be a loyal fight between two egos. In this case, one was the heir to the throne, the other was nothing at all.
14:45What? Louis is nothing at all?
14:48Less than nothing.
14:50This is the kind of idea that has led your country to the point where it is now.
14:54What, what, what?
14:56The notion that you have that one man can be better than another.
14:59These theories are outdated and retrograde, Your Majesty.
15:01The world has changed. Democracy gives all men equal rights and the people have the right to speak.
15:06They can elect their own government.
15:09It's not like in Siam where one man makes the law.
15:12I'm not the only one who makes the law. Your president, Abraham Lincoln, is the one who makes the law.
15:18No, he is governed by the same laws as any of his citizens.
15:21And the only reason he is president is that he was chosen by the people.
15:25It's the people's choice, Lincoln.
15:28And you think I chose to become king?
15:31I was brought up as a mummy to study astronomy and philosophy, etc.
15:36Then King Romeo made me ascend the throne because the country was in a real chaos.
15:40Led by stupid and cruel people.
15:43It's... it's a good people.
15:47Although it tends to act like a five-year-old sometimes.
15:52And I like all my subjects a lot.
15:56If I let other powers invade this country, my people will suffer, I know.
16:01That's why I want to save its freedom.
16:04And I will succeed in keeping it free.
16:07Even if some people don't like what I do.
16:24So you stay.
16:31We will stay until the 15th.
16:34But that's all.
16:43Oh, madame, you are beautiful.
16:47My God, madame, we were so scared.
16:50Here are my guests, sir and lady Edward, Vance, and their friends, etc., etc.
16:56Let me introduce you to their ancestors.
17:01Ah, I made you a little list of the subjects you will bring during the dinner conversation.
17:06I am particularly brilliant on these subjects.
17:09I can make a strong impression.
17:11Elephants' care and food.
17:14Siam's navy.
17:17Cannon powder history.
17:19How much does the Siamese people love their king?
17:22Let's start with that.
17:36You are, I presume, Sir Edward's favorite woman.
17:41Oh, no, I am Sir Edward's only woman, your majesty.
17:46Ah, well, you must be tired.
18:02A toast.
18:04I would like to propose a toast.
18:07To English cuisine, I propose.
18:10It is without spices, without condiments, and without any taste, by the way.
18:14But it has still nourished the nation that has conquered the world.
18:19Yes, yes.
18:25Are you ready to bring a subject of conversation?
18:32Yes.
18:39You know, his majesty has an interesting point of view, in my opinion, on democracy.
18:48Democracy?
18:50Perhaps your majesty would like to repeat the different ideas she expressed in the conversation we had eight days ago.
18:58Ah, yes.
19:03Democracy, in one form or another, as we all know, is prevalent in all the civilized nations of the world.
19:15But in Siam, we have a special form of democracy known as absolute monarchy.
19:27In democracy, the people choose their leader.
19:31It is the choice of the people that is the king.
19:38In Siam, it is a coincidence that the choice of the people and the choice of the king
19:44are made by the same person, me.
19:57But who is your majesty?
19:59The son of Madame Ouen, the heir to the throne.
20:02The heir to the throne?
20:04It's nothing, a simple quarrel of children.
20:07It's a loyal fight.
20:09Enough, enough, enough!
20:11You understand?
20:13Stand up, stand up!
20:15You see, it's nothing now, they're going to shake hands.
20:18Shake hands!
20:20Now, hop, hop, hop!
20:22Fight.
20:24It's good for the children, for the civilized nations.
20:28There are better solutions.
20:32Don't you agree with me, Sir Edward?
20:36Yes, absolutely.
20:42Cigar?
20:44Oh, yes.
20:46Do you want to excuse me?
20:48Do you want to excuse me?
21:06Your Majesty,
21:08I just came to tell you that I thought everything went very well tonight.
21:12Ah, yes.
21:13Thanks to this meeting with Sir Edward,
21:16the British government and I
21:18are now in agreement on the security guarantees of my nation.
21:22I'm happy to finally see this problem solved.
21:25And I'm happy too, Your Majesty.
21:29Why don't you sit down while I sit down?
21:37Are you hungry?
21:39Terribly.
21:40Terribly.
21:42Come on, there's enough for two.
21:44Eat, eat, eat!
21:48I was very brilliant in the conversation tonight.
21:52Yes, yes, it's true.
21:56Especially when you talked about democracy.
22:00You know, I think that if I was born in the United States,
22:03I would have become president.
22:05Don't you think so?
22:06I think
22:08that you could have become an extraordinary president,
22:11Your Majesty.
22:18Remember
22:20that tomorrow is the 15th.
22:23Yes.
22:25Tomorrow,
22:26we'll have to talk
22:28about your new house.
22:31My house?
22:33Yes.
22:35It's going to be a beautiful house.
22:38Of course, it will take some time.
22:41Eat now, we'll talk tomorrow.
23:04THE END